Holiday rentals in Umbria, Italy

wine umbria

Terni is in the southern part of Umbria. It is the smaller of the two provinces in the region Umbria and a modern, dynamic city, rebuilt after the Second World War.

Terni now is a culinary destination with many trendy bars and restaurants. The busiest area is Via Cavour and Via Roma. Every weekend the streets are filled with people eating and drinking outside.

In Via Cavour is restaurant La Piazzetta, offering local and seasonal cuisine. The menu and wine list change every season. In this restaurant is a good vibe, La Piazzetta has the right atmosphere and ambiance to have a nice lunch or dinner with your family and friends. The food and wine they offer are really outstanding!

Federico is the owner of restaurant La Piazzetta. I have known him for some years now. In 2012 I organized a festival with my friend from Terni, Marco, to promote the region Umbria. Umbriabeecoming was meant to attract more visitors and tourists in Umbria. For the promotion of this region we’ve organized several Umbrian wine tastings and presentations in Holland together with the Italian society Dante Alighieri.

It wasn’t the first time I had dinner at La Piazzetta. The authentic pasta dish “ciriole” with black local truffle remains one of my favorite Umbrian dishes. The home made pasta they serve is excellent and absolutely worth trying.

On the website of Tripadvisor you can read the reviews from restaurant La Piazzetta. This restaurant is really recommended when you’re in Terni!

UNTO stands for Unesco, Natura, Territorio, Olio and is an event in Assisi where the new DOP Umbrian olive oil is celebrated. UNTO is organised around the Frantoi Aperti from October 28 to November 26, 2017. In Umbria this is the period that the olives are picked and the new olive oil is being pressed. Olive oil mills open their doors and many activities are being organised.

The first weekend of UNTO on the main square in Assisi, there was a large tent with market stalls where you could taste and buy many local specialties. I pleasantly strolled along the stalls and enjoyed the sight of all these local products.

Umbrian craft beer is a real delicacy for beer lovers. At the entrance of the huge tent in Assisi, I found Giovanni serving his locally brewed beer. Giovanni is the owner of the San Biagio brewery in Nocera Umbra, not far from Assisi.

A few years ago I had a beer tasting tour at the San Biagio brewery. We tasted all kinds of Umbrian craft beer. I was with friends from Belgium and when Belgians say that San Biagio craft beer is of high quality, you can trust it!

On the first day of the UNTO event there were a lot of visitors in Assisi. Italians, but also foreign tourists. During this event quite some activities are on the program, from exhibitions to tastings, from courses to music performances.

And again I discovered a great food event in Umbria where I will definitely return.

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Umbria is the green heart of Italy and these green hills, the climate and the soil are excellent for making good wines. Abroad Umbrian wines are less known, which is a shame because the wines of this region are of high quality. In Umbria the Etruscans made wine two thousand years ago, but also the Romans in the 3rd century b.C. appreciated the wines.

Merlot grapes

The most famous Umbrian wine is the white Orvieto, the Orvieto DOC and the Orvieto Classico DOC. The most interesting Umbrian red wines come from Torgiano and Montefalco. The founder of the Torgiano wines is the Lungarotti family. The red wine from Torgiano is mostly made of Sangiovese and Canaiolo grapes.

In the Trasimeno area is cultivated the lesser known Gamay grape. Within a short distance from Perugia, Assisi and Cortona is the estate “azienda agricola Pucciarella” (300 m above sea level). From its hills one can see as far as Torgiano to one side and Lake Trasimeno to the other side. The vineyards of Pucciarella measure 80 hectares.

Azienda Agricola Pucciarella

At Pucciarella different kinds of grapes are harvested, such as Cabernet, Chardonnay, Merlot and Sangiovese. They produce a characteristic Brut Spumante made by 100% Chardonnay grapes:”Chardonnay in purezza”, as well as a Brut Rosé of 100% Pinot nero grapes which is an elegant wine and very suitable for appetizers.

Colli del Trasimeno Bianco Scelto DOC

The red and white wines of Pucciarella are of high quality. The red wine Colli del Trasimeno DOC is made from only Cabernet grapes without any use of sulphites. This is quite exceptional. The wine gives an intense aroma of forest fruits, plums and spices. A harmonious wine good to combine with with pasta meals, red meat and old sheep cheese.

Colli del Trasimeno Cabernet DOC

Pucciarella produces elegant wines thanks to the combination of exposure, soil characteristics, altitude and the low yield per vine. The wines have great character and are an excellent expression of the Umbrian terroir.

Cantina Pucciarella is opened daily. You can visit the winery without reservation and taste different kinds of wine. A nice experience and worth a visit when you are in Umbria.